Flu Avian flu may force McNuggets off menu

http://portal.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/02/26/nflu126.xml
Avian flu may force McNuggets off menu
LONDON, Feb.26 (Telegraph): McDonald's is drawing up contingency plans to remove chicken burgers and nuggets from its menu and a British restaurant has dropped wildfowl as concern about avian flu grows. Confirmation that the H5N1 bird flu virus has struck a turkey farm in the south-east of France, bringing the spectre of an outbreak in Britain closer, has led to what is being criticised as a "knee-jerk" reaction by some food outlets. The City Inn Hotel in Birmingham became the first to announce that wildfowl would be dropped from restaurant menus as a "precautionary measure" for the foreseeable future. Carl Littlewood, the general manager, said: "All our poultry comes from the UK and is totally traceable. On the basis of current scientific evidence, avian flu does not pose a food safety risk for any consumer. However, we have taken this stance purely as a precautionary measure." Fast-food chain McDonald's also confirmed last night that it was investigating the supply of alternatives to its chicken dishes. A spokeswoman told the Sunday Telegraph: "We have a European task force working on contingency plans for our supply chain and, although the details of that plan must remain confidential, it involves potentially introducing alternative items into our menus to replace the chicken. "In the meantime, however, we are confident of the safety of our products because we use only suppliers who comply with our high standards of traceability and keep their chickens indoors." The measures have been condemned by farmers, who fear a collapse in consumer confidence that could devastate the industry. The Food Standards Agency said last night that its message to consumers - that poultry and poultry products were safe - remained unchanged, despite confirmation of the virus in France. Read this article in full at Telegraph UK